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Psalm 40:1-11
Epiphany 2A
Psalm 40 is certainly one of the more curious of the psalms. The first 11 verses (which is all the Lectionary is directing us to) comprise an upbeat song of thanksgiving and praise to God. The psalmist claims to have waited patiently for God to come through for him and then God did. He lifted…
Isaiah 49:1-7
Epiphany 2A
Illustration “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists in two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” Knowledge of God, of course, sounds noble enough but that knowledge of ourselves? Does it strike you as a little pop-psychology? Kind-of self-help-y and postmodern? Where does that quotation…
Isaiah 42:1-9
Epiphany 1A
Illustration As a matter of visuals in the sanctuary or maybe as content for a children’s message, consider bringing in a bouquet of flowers in a vase, but bending one so that it sticks out at a strange angle. Perhaps consult with a florist in your congregation on methods they can use to support a…
Psalm 29
Epiphany 1A
Last week the Year A Lectionary had us in Psalm 147 where God’s power and presence were depicted as being inside snow storms and icy blasts. This week Psalm 29 makes the same move but shifts the weather to thunderstorms. And if you think God’s awesomeness can be seen in a wintertime blizzard, that’s nothing…
Psalm 147:12-20
Christmas 2A
In Michigan where I live, since Thanksgiving Day we have already endured our share of snow spreading out like wool and some serious icy blasts as well. One good thing about winter is that it gives you a leg up on understanding the various psalms that, like Psalm 147, use winter weather as imagery for…
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Christmas 2A
Commentary: A Bittersweet Moment The first Sunday of the new year can feel like a bittersweet time for people who have just prepared for Christmas—baking, hosting, buying, wrapping, sending—within an inch of their lives. I’m mindful of empty nesters whose homes were a little less empty. For families who rarely see one another traveling, being…
Isaiah 63:7-9
Christmas 1A
How Can I Keep from Singing? The Sunday after Christmas is, especially for those who have (mostly) kept Christmas at bay with Advent hymns, a chance to sing all the Christmas carols that wouldn’t fit into a Christmas Eve or Christmas morning service. Unfortunately, once we get to January, people have turned the calendar page….
Psalm 148
Christmas 1A
The first Sunday after Christmas in 2025 is also a mere three days after Christmas Day. By then most of us, if we are honest, are a bit worn out and worn thin by all the holiday hustle and bustle. Good times were had perhaps. Or maybe the holidays were more stressful than good as…
Isaiah 7:10-16
Advent 4A
Backs Against the Wall The text of Isaiah 7:10-16 (well, really, verse 14) is embedded in the Christian imagination as a prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary. But, before it served that purpose, it had another. Taking in the context of the first 9 verses of chapter 7, here’s the…
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Advent 4A
Since I have been writing the Psalm sermon commentary for quite a few years now, I find that it seems like I have to write something for Psalm 80 every year. There’s a reason for that feeling: I have been writing on Psalm 80 every year during Advent because the Lectionary assigns it in Years…
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